


She Didn't Have to Be

by DragonLady2015



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien misses his mom, F/M, Others will be added as they become aplicable, idk - Freeform, oc just wants to be a good mom, stepmom fic, what even are tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-20
Updated: 2018-02-21
Packaged: 2018-09-01 04:58:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8609701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonLady2015/pseuds/DragonLady2015
Summary: Adrien has been patiently waiting for his mother to return home. He thought his father was doing the same
He thought wrong





	1. Good(?) News

**Author's Note:**

> If I can't mother him and his mother can't mother him someone has to

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien has been patiently waiting for his mother to come home. He thought his father was doing the same.
> 
> He thought wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I can't mother him and his mother can't mother him, someone has to.

“It’s been really quiet lately, hasn’t it?”

“I know what you mean.” Chat murmured, looking out over the starlit streets of Paris.

The past year had gone on and on, each week and month with progressively less and less Akuma activity, eventually tapering off. There were only two attacks last month, and they were a week and a half into this month with no activity at all. 

“I wonder if he’s giving up? Maybe he’s figuring out he’ll never win.” he suggested.

“Mmm, I doubt it. I guess it’s possible, but we shouldn’t let our guard down. We’ll keep up with patrols until we’re completely sure. It’s probably fine if we head home now, though.” She turned to him, giving a gentle smile. “Let’s get some sleep.”

“Sounds like a plan,” he agreed, smiling at his Lady before she turned and headed home. Remaining on his perch for a while, he considered her words. The thought had Chat a little worried. If Hawkmoth gave up, would they be done being superheroes? Would they return their miraculous and just… fade back into their civilian lives? The thought made him feel a bit sick.

He shook off the idea. There was still time. They would give it time.

With that mildly reassuring thought in his head, he extended his baton, leaping in the direction of his home and, ultimately, his bed.

-=-=-=-=-

_Come to my office. I would like to speak with you._

That alone should have tipped Adrien off. Father never texted him. If he needed to see Adrien, he’d just have Nathalie let him know. But Adrien, despite normally being overly attuned to his father’s habits, brushed it aside. 

He’d had a good day. Done well on his French History test, hung out with his friends over lunch, and gotten a head start on his book report. The way things were going for him today, his father might be canceling his photo shoots for the rest of the month, to give him a break. It was a longshot, but hey, a guy could hope.

When he made it to the large mahogany double doors, Adrien reached out to knock, but paused. Was… was that giggling?

He could faintly hear his father's voice, though he couldn't discern his words, and a gentle, feminine laugh following whatever he said. It was way too light, too bell-like to be Nathalie. 

For a moment, Adrien dared to hope, and he knocked on the door.

“Father? It's Adrien. May I come in?”

“Hm? Oh, yes. Come in.”

Swallowing hard, Adrien pushed the door open, tentatively looking up at the scene in front of him.

There _was_ a woman beside his father, but she was not Adrien's mother. She looked almost like her opposite.

Where Adelaide Agreste had been tall and slender, this woman was curvy and petite, probably standing only a few centimeters taller than Adrien. Instead of pale and blonde, her hair was dark, framing her sunkissed brown complexion well. The eyes, though similar in shape, were a dark brown instead of the bottle green Adrien shared with his mother. Even her style of dress was different, replacing typical French fashion in deep blues and greens with a tastefully wrapped sari in fiery reds and yellows.

She was beautiful in her own right. Just… not the kind of beautiful he had expected.

“Yes, father?” He prompted, avoiding the strange woman's warm gaze. Gabriel stood, guiding the woman from behind the desk. Adrien noticed his father's hand placed securely on his companion’s lower back, and his stomach flipped. Not in the good way, either.

“I'm glad you're here, Adrien. I'd like you to meet Esme Feud'oiseaux.” He introduced, gesturing to the woman. Esme stepped forward, gently taking Adrien's hands in hers.

“Adrien Agreste. It's so nice to finally meet you in person. Your father has told me so much about you.”

“Nice to meet you too. Though I wish I could say he's told me as much about you.” He greeted politely. Looking down, a shine caught his eye. He lifted her hand, only half listening to his father talk about schedules and timing.

The ring on her left hand was no simple golden band. Inlayed all around the outside was a peppering of ruby chips, each placed just so to make sure none would catch on clothing. A confirmation of Gabriel's handiwork.

“You're getting married.” Adrien interrupted, cutting his father off mid sentence. Normally he wouldn't dare but this was serious. This, he never expected. “You're getting married. When did this happen? When did you start dating her? When you even started dating again?”

“You… you never told him about us? About me?” Esme asked Gabriel, hurt in her eyes.

“As I said, Adrien and I don't see each other as often as we'd like.” Gabriel stated, as though that fixed everything.

Adrien could tell Esme was as dissatisfied with the excuse as he was, and he knew she had every right to be as upset as he was. But to his mind at the moment, she was just as guilty as his father.

“Anyway, we'll be having the engagement party this Saturday. I wanted to make sure you knew to dress appropriately.”

“I have other plans.” Adrien stated, doing his best not to sound snappish. 

“Well cancel them. This is important, and I-”

“So is this. It's Nino's birthday and I promised I wouldn't miss it. I told you about this a month ago.” Adrien reminded him coldly. For a second, Gabriel looked astounded that his son could even take such a tone, but his expression quickly turned annoyed.

“Adrien, that's quite enough.”

“Obviously it's not. I'm going to Nino's this Saturday. Have fun at your party.” Adrien finished, turning on a heel and leaving the office without another word.

-=-=-=-=-

Closing his bedroom door behind him, Adrien grabbed one of his pillows, screaming into the memory foam. Though quieted by the foam, he was just loud enough to overpower Plagg’s words, allowing him to ignore the kwami.

Once he was finished screaming, he stood, taking a deep breath. He muttered his transformation phrase, not even moving in his usual sequence. Not in the mood. He needed to get away. Away from this house, even if just for a little while. It was supposed to be Ladybug's turn for patrol, but he didn't care. He didn't even really want to see her for once. He felt unsteady. Unstable. The last thing he wanted was for Ladybug to see him like this.


	2. Golden Feathers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One can't really run from their problems, but damn it, Chat is willing to try.
> 
> Turns out he's not the only one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is so ridiculously blind in the show. This fic will reflect that.

Chat Noir leapt through the streets of Paris, seething with rage. He knew, in the grand scheme of things, his father didn't care about his opinion on most things. His schedule, his friends, even his plans after collège. But getting married?

His father had been so desolate after Adrien's mother disappeared. How long had he even been with this woman? Did his father even know her?

He saw Ladybug in the distance and made a sharp right, swinging between houses instead of over the rooftops. His lady had enough on her mind without adding his troubles to her plate. He could figure this out on his own without dragging Ladybug into it. Growling to himself, he propelled himself faster through the streets, almost missing the brief flash of red-orange overhead. 

Curious, he pushed himself up off a window sill and back to the rooftops. The costume didn't seem as ridiculous as most akumas, but better safe than sorry. 

The figure flew away, her flight aided by jets of flame emitting from the balls of her feet and gliders pinned under her arms and down the side of her body.

Following silently, he almost missed it when she stopped on one of the higher roofs, the cat having to take another leap to slow down before backtracking. The figure took a seat on the ledge, one leg wrapped in her arms while the other dangled free toward the street below. Her back straightened when he landed, but she made no move to flee. 

Her costume was orange, though it was more red-orange than Volpinas’ had been. Her dark hair was braided down her back, a few orange feathers mixed into her hair. A yellow sash was tied around her waist, pinned at the knot with a small golden bird-shaped pin. The sash held a gilded crossbow to her hip, a quiver of arrows bound to her thigh with a similar sash. Matching yellow boots and gloves went to her knees and elbows, orange jets of flame patterned down her shins and outer arms.

“I wondered which of Paris’ heroes would find me first,” she grinned, only a touch bitter as she turned back to look at him, golden eyes flashing from behind the orange mask in the dim lights of the night city. “Nice to meet you, Chat Noir.”

“And you,” he agreed. He could tell the woman was older than Ladybug and himself, though it was anyone’s guess how much older. Normally, he’d be much friendlier, but the Volpina incident plus his father’s announcement had him wary and in a bad mood. Still, he was nothing if not a decent actor. “So what should I call you? Not really fair if you know my name and I don’t know yours.”

“Right. Um… Call me…. Phénix?” She suggested, forcing a smile that wasn’t nearly as convincing as his. Chat brushed it off for now.

“Well, Phénix, hate to say it, but I’m not a hundred percent ready to trust you.”

“Join the club,” she muttered, catching Chat’s attention but moving on before he could question her. “Why not, exactly? I mean, I suppose it’s because I’m new and all, but let’s pretend that isn’t it.” 

She seemed obviously upset. Her mood was almost as foul as Chat’s. 

“We had an incident a few weeks ago with an akuma posing as a Miraculous holder. LB and I, we’d rather not have a repeat of that,” he stated. Phénix paused a moment before bringing her dangling leg up and standing, stepping down from the ledge to the concrete rooftop.

“Wait here,” she ordered, moving behind a large vent shaft. He heard a soft mutter, though he couldn’t make out the words, and a small yellow-orange being floated out from behind it. Clearing her throat, the kwami held out a paw, fiery plumage ruffled. 

“Agaa. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Chat Noir.” She greeted pleasantly. Chat shook her paw delicately, deciding to forgo the kiss he might have placed there. On such a small being, who knew where his lips would land. 

“And yours,” he agreed again, this time his smile a little more genuine. An actual holder. Well, that would be useful. “It’ll be nice to have another holder around here.”

“Can’t wait to see what you’ve got,” Agaa nodded, giving him a smile and zooming back to where Phénix waited. He watched the glow of golden-red light, and the woman returned to his line of sight.

“Good?” she asked.

“Good,” he hummed. He considered calling Ladybug, but decided against it. They had patrol together the next night. He’d mention it to her then. Besides, he didn’t want to have to explain why he was out as Chat Noir when it was her turn. Better safe than sorry. 

“Now is that all? I was kind of sulking,” she continued, hopping up on her ledge and sitting softly on the concrete. Pausing a moment, the cat settled beside her, legs crossed 

“You okay?” he asked, voice turning gentle. Phénix glanced over at him, sighing lightly.

“Family issues,” she replied, not meeting his eyes. “Specifically me. I’m the issue.”

“Come on, I’m sure that’s not true.” Chat placed a hand on her shoulder. It seemed odd to him, comforting someone older than him like this. He’d done it before with akuma victims, but it was different now. The problems he was trying to help her with here couldn’t be solved with lucky charm. 

“It’s… hard to explain,” she stated, biting her lip. With another sigh, she looked up to the Parisian skyline “Do… Do you ever paint a picture in your head of how things should be, but then when it actually happens it’s nothing like you imagined?”

His mind flashed back to the moments before he'd entered his father's office, and how his hopes had been crushed when he opened the door.

“A time or two ” he allowed, sounding almost tentative to admit it. 

“Tonight was… something like that. I got my hopes up and now…” 

“It can’t have been that bad,” he insisted. Phénix laughed. 

“Oh really? I just found out the man I’ve been seeing for a year now never told his family about me.”

Chat paused, chuckling slightly.

“Okay, that’s pretty bad.” He conceded, looking out where she was. “Actually, something like that happened to me tonight, too.” 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. My first instinct was to talk to Ladybug about it, but.. I don’t want to bother her with it.”

“Why not?” Phénix asked, looking up at him. “She’s your best friend, isn’t she? I mean, you guys seem pretty close, from what I've seen. I would think she’d be the only one you’d want to bother with it.”

“Well, I mean, we are close. It’s just… She’s got enough to think about without my family issues.” He claimed, running a clawed hand through his hair. “Besides, I could say the same to you. Why not talk to a friend about this instead of the first black cat you meet?”

“Well, I don’t have any friends here. I just moved to France, actually.” she admitted, causing Chat to look at her with surprise in his blazing green eyes. “That’s probably why we haven’t met before, too. I knew you two existed, so I wanted to introduce myself as soon as I arrived, but then the whole family scene happened, and… Well, here we are.”

“Well, I gotta admit, for a foreigner, your French is very good.” He commented. Phénix chuckled again. 

“Thanks. My father was French-Canadian, so I grew up speaking it.” she explained. Chat nodded in understanding.

“So I guess you also speak English?”

“And Punjabi, ” she nodded, flashing a smile. 

“Really? That's cool.”

“Da dhanavāda,” she replied. Adrien could only assume it was a thank you, and couldn't help but laugh a little at the pronunciation. 

“Say that again?” He requested. Phénex smiled and complied, helping him repeat the word until he could say it almost perfectly.

“You really have a knack for languages, don't you?” she commented with a smile.

“You really think so? Most of my friends speak a second language, and I've been studying since I was young.”

The pair chatted for a while longer, their minds quickly taken off of their respective problems. Chat told her stories of his and Ladybug's adventures, and Phénix recounted her own tales of heroism outside of Paris. Though hers were on a small scale, what with Hawkmoth being the only major supervillain in the world, Chat listened intently. It turned out Phénex was a wonderful storyteller.

And she laughed at all of Chat's puns. So maybe he was a little biased.

They talked and laughed for hours, going on until well after midnight. The sky to the east was starting to light blue when the older hero recovered from a fit of laughter and looked up. 

“Shit, is that the time already?” She asked, standing as she noticed the rising light. Chat looked over as well.

“Looks like it.” he agreed with a sigh. “I really don't want to go home.” he muttered.

“That makes two of us.” She agreed, crossing her arms as he stood as well. Looking down at the boy, she offered a smile. “Hey, I dunno what's going on with you, but let's make a pact. The next time we see each other, we'll both have confronted our problems.” 

Chat looked back at her, his face a little incredulous as she held up a hand. The earnest way she looked at him was almost familiar. Besides, someone who honestly likes bad jokes had an integrity you just couldn't say ‘no’ to.

Grinning, Chat clapped his hand into hers.

“Alright, feathers. You've got yourself a deal.” He agreed. She arched a brow at the nickname, smirking back as she released his hand. 

“You're on, whiskers.” She returned. Clicking her heels, the jets of flame shot from her feet, the phoenix gave the cat a final nod before tipping off the side of the building, opening her arms and gliding down the street. Chat watched for a minute before shaking his head, turning for home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this took a while. I'll try to update weekly, but we'll see what happens.
> 
> I have so many fic ideas for this series you guys.


	3. Saying the Right Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beginnings are always difficult. The best one can hope to do is make them as smooth as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM THE WORST FOR LETTING THIS GO FOR SO LONG!!! I'm hoping to update a few times a month from here on out, but we'll see what happens. I want to start doing more original work, but I want to finish all my working fics first, so... I'll get there.

Esme sighed in relief as she pushed the door open, wiping sweat from her forehead. She always felt better after going for a run. Still not in the mood to talk to Gabriel, she headed for the spare room she had dumped her luggage in. She was really glad that she'd refused the maid's help in unpacking, or all her things would already be moved to Gabe’s bedroom.

“Well, that was nice," Agaa grinned, settling on one of the pillows. Esme chuckled, humming in agreement as she picked through her suitcases for a set of pyjamas.

“No kidding. He certainly figured me out quicker than I thought he would," she grinned, laying out a soft red shirt and a pair of sweatpants before moving toward the in-room bathroom.

She couldn't help but think things over as she showered. She still couldn't believe Gabriel's nerve. He really hadn't said a word about her to his son. He had told her he and Adrien didn't speak often, but he had made it sound like it was because of work. Delicate subject or not, this was not the sort of thing you just didn't tell your kid about. She very nearly wanted to leave on those grounds alone, but one thing kept stopping her from actually making a decision.

Adrien.

Despite the rough first impression, he seemed like a good kid. Made good grades, fencing, basketball, piano lessons. Plus he was obviously very loyal to, and protective of his friends, which Esme respected.

But maybe she was being biased. After all, she'd only just met him today, and his father didn't talk about him as often as she would have liked. Most of what she knew about him was from magazines.

With a sigh, Esme stepped from under the stream, drying and dressing before she flopped down on the soft bed and groaned gently as her muscles relaxed.

She would have to take a step back, make sure she wasn't just seeing Adrien through rose tinted glasses. No matter how badly she wanted to be a mother, she had no right to project those expectations on him. 

But whatever the case, she couldn't just leave after seeing that little display between him and Gabe. She wanted to do something, anything that would help them. Call her nosy, but if this was going to be her family - and she sincerely hoped it would - she wanted to help.

-=-=-=-=-

Adrien walked into class the next morning with an uncharacteristic scowl on his face. His classmates were quick to notice. Though quiet, Adrien was always smiling, whether he realized it or not. But the look he wore right now… it was more than reason for concern.

“Hey man, you okay?” Nino asked cautiously, frowning worriedly at the blonde. They still had a few minutes before class, so Adrien turned to the bespectacled boy, not even looking up as Marinette burst in, early for once.

“My dad talked to me last night. Apparently he’s getting remarried," Adrien admitted. Nino, Alya, and Mari all looked at him in surprise. 

“What? Dude, you didn’t tell me your dad was dating again. When did that happen?” Nino asked, mind positively blown. He could hardly imagine old man Agreste marrying the first time, never mind a second.

“No clue. I didn’t even know he’d met anyone until last night when he introduced me to her," Adrien stated, pulling out his homework and glaring at it.

“Is she nice at least?” Alya asked, “Who knows? You could be the next CinderFella.”

“She seems nice enough, but I’ve only talked to her once. I didn’t see her this morning, but apparently she’s already moved in, so I’ll have to talk to her eventually," he stated. He didn’t miss the concerned look his friends wore, but he wished he had.

“I think you should give her a chance," Marinette stated softly. Adrien turned toward her, smile tugging at his mouth when he saw how she turned a little red under his gaze. Not meeting his eyes, she continued. “She probably feels as weird about this as you do. Coming into an established family can be hard.”

“Especially with all those stories about evil stepmoms," Alya added, resting her chin in her hands. 

“No kidding. With stepdad movies, they always start with the kid going _“You’re not my_ real _dad!”,_ " Nino began, imitating a whiny teenager voice, “and storming off. Then by the end of it the kid’s like, _“Y’know what? I love you, real dad.”_. But stepmom movies always end with something like, _“Wow, I’m glad she’s dead.”_.”

“Just talk to her, Adrien," Marinette insisted, giving him a smile when he looked up at her again. “It probably won’t be nearly as bad as you think.”

Adrien paused. For as infrequently as he and Marinette talked, she had this air about her that always made people feel better. Adrien really liked it, honestly.

“Alright. I’ll give her a chance," he sighed, offering the girl a smile of his own. Her face turned red again and he couldn’t help but chuckle a little as he turned to the front of the room.

-=-=-=-=-

“Adrien?” A voice called gently through his door, followed by a soft knock. Adrien sighed, setting his pen down.

“Yeah, Esme?” He asked, sounding tired. The woman bit her lip, pushing the door open.

“Hey. I, uh, I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” she asked cautiously, lacing her fingers in front of her. She was much stiffer than she had been the night before. She was nervous.

“Just some homework, nothing big," he assured, turning his chair toward her. “Did you need something?”

“Um, I just… I wanted to apologize for the way your father and I dropped the news on you last night. Trust me, that’s not how I imagined things would happen," she stated, her smile a little embarrassed. Adrien nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Yeah, I figured. And… I’m sorry I reacted so badly. It’s not your fault, It’s just…”

“Shocking?” She suggested, stepping forward to rest a hand on his desk. 

“That’s one way to put it," he agreed with a laugh. Esme chuckled with him. 

“Listen, just… forget what your father said. You absolutely don’t have to come to the engagement party if you’d rather spend the night with your friend," she added, smiling down at him. She looked so sweet, and her smile was so warm that Adrien couldn’t help but smile back. 

“Thanks. Nino and I, we’ve been planning this party for a while, and I don’t want to let him down," he admitted, relaxing a little more.

“That’s nice. He’s lucky to have such a loyal friend," she added, pausing a moment. She bit her lip before meeting his gaze again, “Speaking of, I… I know this is probably strange for you. A stranger showing up, suddenly just… part of the family. And I _feel_ like family to you. It… may never happen. And that’s okay! But do you think maybe... we could start as friends?”

Esme seemed far less sure of herself than she had the previous night. Maybe Marinette was right. She obviously really wanted Adrien to like her, and sure, it was probably best that he did. They were going to be around each other a lot, whether or not Adrien really wanted that.

But she was making an effort, and he appreciated that.

“Yeah. Friends. That’s a good place to start," he agreed, smiling a little. It wasn’t that long ago he’d been pretty stressed about making real friends for the first time. And he liked to think he knew better than most how hard it could be.

“I'm glad to hear it,” she smiled, seeming to have relaxed a bit. Some of the tension had left her shoulders, and her smile had warmed to the point where she was radiating it.

“Um.. I’m glad we had this talk,” he allowed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Me too," she agreed, folding her hands again, “Anyway, I'll let you get back to-”

Tremors rocked the house, causing them both to look to the window. A puff of purple smoke filled the sky, and the source of the cloud didn't seem to be that far off. Adrien clenched his fist and glanced to his ring, turning to sprint from the room to find somewhere to transform-

But Esme beat him to it, feet pounding against the floor as she ran to hide.

“Adrien, get away from the windows!” he heard her call over her shoulder. Adrien couldn't help but smile a little, closing his door behind him.

“No problem,” he hummed, giving Plagg another grin, “Plagg, claws out!”

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to those coming over from Alone on Christmas, and a warm welcome to the new readers! 
> 
> Reviews are love. Reviews are life.


End file.
